Dredge bucket construction



June 16, 1953 T, C, wHlsLER 2,641,855

DREDGE BUCKET CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Oct. 16. 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 @WMMWY%S June 16, 1953 1'. c. wHlsLER DREDGE BUCKET CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Oct. 16, 194'? 2 Sheets-Sheetl 2 56 QVJZO Patented June 16, 1953 Thomas C. Whisler, Alameda, Calif., assignor to American 'Brake Shoe Company, f New York,

N. Y., 'a corporation of Delaware- Original application October `16, 1947, Serial No. 780,232. kDivided and thi'sapplication June 30, 1949, Serial No. 102,385

The .invention relates to chain dredge buckets and has reference more particularly to an irnproved dredge bucket comprising'separable parts andA including a hood portion provided with a depending annulus and a base portion having an opening for receiving the annulus.

In the manufacture of chain dredge buckets it has been the practice to cast the buckets in the form-of solid or integral castings of manganese steel. In the casting of large structures radical changes exist in the metal sections from top to base so that foundry difficulties are Voften encountered. For eliminating such difficulties in the casting of large bucket structures the invention contemplates making the hood portion of the bucket separate from the basermember and in providing special features in the Adesign of theV parts whereby they can be conveniently fitted together. More particularly, as contemplated by the invention, the base member will be provided with a circular opening for receiving a depending annulus formed on and integral with the hood portion and which is adapted to t in the base opening for releasably securing the parts in assembled relation.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide an excavating bucket of separable construction which will comprise a. plurality of parts in order to avoid foundry di'iculties in the casting of the parts and wherein the same .are so designed as to have intertting relation for joining the parts to comprise anassembled unit.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide 4 Claims. (Cl. 37-191) tomy PatentNo. 2,228,546 of January 14, 1941 a separable chain bucket construction Vwithjthe Y hood and base portions being interchangeable to facilitate assembling inthe eld or replacement of the parts. p

With these and various other objects in view, the invention may consist of certain novel features of construction and operation, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the specification, drawings and claims appended hereto.

Referring to the drawings, the chain dredge bucket selected for illustrating the invention essentially consists of a hood portion IU comprising the excavator body of the bucket and a base portion I2 to which thehood is releasably secured. The'hood comprises a cup-like structure having a substantially continuous bounding wall generally designated I3, a front portion I4 and a rear portion I5.- In cross section .on a transverse approximately horizontal plane the inside contour of the hood is substantially elliptical, the inside wall I6 forming'the rear and the bottom of the bucket and merging with the side walls 4of the same which terminates at I3.

To cooperate with the hood I0 there is provided a removable rmember forming a separate lip I8. The lip is customarily cast in manganese steel as isalso the' base and hood portions, and the contour of the lip is such as to coincide with the marginal wall I3 of the hood. The lip is thus crescent-shaped in plan, being preferably fabricated in one piece and is provided with inside and outside anges 20 andZI, respectively, for straddling the marginal wall of the hood portion. For a more particular description of the straddling flange structure for. the lip I8 reference is made entitled Excavator.. Said lip in the vicinity of the rearvportion thereof is provided with a plurality of apertured bosses 22 which cooperate with similarbosses 23 formed integral with the hood portion. Fasteningbolts 24 extend throughv aligned apertures of the bossesrespectively and function to securely fasten the lip to the hood portion with provision being made Afor conveniently releasing the lip for purposes of repair or replacement.

A circumferentially extending ledge or wall 25 is integral with'the hood portion I 0 having location adjacent the bottom of the hood portion. Said wall 25 on'each side of the hood portion is providedwith a plurality of slots 26 for receiving fastening bolts to be presently described in rdetail In the drawings whichV illustrate anemlcio'di'fv ment of the device and wherein likereference characters are used todesignate like parts- Figure 1 is a side elevational view illustrating a separable two-part dredge bucket constructed inaccordance with theA invention,"certain portions being shown in section to clearly illustrate structural details;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the hood portion of the bucket; and

Figure 3 is a top plan view illustrating struci tural features of the base portion.

, and this `slotted section of wall 25 is reinforced by vertically extending ribs 21 having location on the exterior of the hood portion and which merge f with the wall I6 thereof.

In accordance lwith Athe invention the hood and base portions of the bucket,r are separable,- the hoodportion. having a depending annulus indicate'd by numeral 28, .Figure 1, andV which depends from the wall 25, being integral therewith and integral with the wallf|6 of the hood-as shown in Figure l. The depending annulus 28 may be reinforced by ribs such as 30 having location within the open bottom of the same. It will be observed that the bottom surface of Wall 25 and the exterior surface of depending annulus 28 are both machined to provide smooth surfaces which are accordingly designed to have a close t with cooperating surfaces provided by the base portion I2. Details of the base portion will now be described. 1

Since chain dredge buckets are adapted to have articulated relation lwith other buckets to form an endless conveyor the base portion v| 2 as shown in Figure 1 has cast integral therewith a rear boss 3| which is pierced at 32 for receiving the back eye bushing 33. The rear boss 3| is located centrally with respect to the longitudinal center line of base portion I2 and said boss is somewhat less in Width than the over-` all width of the base. The front is according- 1y provided with a pair of front bosses 34 which are pierced to provide front eyes 35 and' v'vhichv receive a pin for the purpose of articulatedly connecting adjacent buckets. It will be understood that the pin will extend through the front eyes 35 and through back eye bushing 33 of the adjacent bucket with the pin being journalled by said bushing which accordingly takes the wear during operation of the chain conveyor.

In addition to the rear and front bosses the base portion l2 includes a substantially horizontally disposed top walli36 which is machined to provide a flat surface complementary to that provided by wall 25. Also wall 36 includes a depending wall 31 which is circular in extent to define an opening 39 ofa size for receiving the depending annulus 28 whereby the hood portion is united with the base portion to form a unitary structure comprising a chain dredge bucket. As previously explained, wall 25 is formed with slots 26 for receiving fastening bolts 38 which pass through aligned openings in wall 36 of the base portion, Securing nuts 40 are provided for said fastening bolts which therefore serve to securely but releasably hold the hood portion in assembled relation with the base portion. As a result of the separable construction of the portions forming the present chain bucket it is possible to cast each portion without encountering foundry diiculties which would otherwise be the case if the hood and base portion Were cast as one piece, particularly as regards large buckets. Foundry difficulties are eliminated since asV regards each portion radical changes in metal sections have been eliminated. It is necessary, as is the case of fitting the lip to the hood portion, to have the hood and base casting interchangeable. With separable parts in accordance with the invention it is possible y to bore the opening in the base portion to a plug gauge and to machine the depending annulus of the hood portion so as to t a ring gauge and accordingly there will be no question about interchangeability in the field which also makes for convenience in the replacement of ,parts during use of the bucket.

The opening 39, as defined by the Wall 3|. of the baseportion is such as to require reinforc- 4 and said ribs extend from the top Wall 36 to the bottom wall and merge with their respective side walls 41 or 48 -which define the side limits of the base member. The construction is such as to Vform compartments on `each side of the base 16, 1947-, and vnow abandoned, and entitled Dredge Bucket Construction.

The invention is not to be limited to or by details of construction ofthe particular embodiment thereof illustrated by the drawings as various forms ofthe device will of course be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An excavator bucket, in combination, a hood portion providing a dredge bucket and having a depending annulus, a base portion having an opening centrally thereof for receiving the depending annulus whereby the hood and base por-Vv tions may be joined in assembled relation7 securing meansrfor releasably securing the said portions in. assembled relation, and reinforcing means for the base portion including a rib integrall with the base portion and extending substantially diametrically of the opening below the same.

2. An excavator bucket, in combination, a hood portion providing a'dredge bucket and having an outwardly extending bottom wall, an annulus depending. from said bottom wall centrally of the same, a base portion having a ilat top walland side walls, said topwall having a center opening for receiving the depending annulus and-said bottom wall of the hood portion and the top Wall of the base portion having coacting machined surfaces for a close i'lt when the portions are assembled, securing means for releasably securing the said portions in assembled relation, and reinforcing means for the base portion including a transverse rib joining the side walls and extending substantially diametrically of the opening below the same.

`3. An excavator bucket, in combination, a hood portion providing the bucket proper and having an exterior of vgenerallyspherical shape, an anf nulus` integral withthe hood portion and depending from the bottom thereof, a circumferential wall extending laterally outwardly from the hood portion at the junction of the annulus therewith,`vertically disposed ribs on the exterior of the hood portion for joining and reinforcing the circumferential wall with respect to the hood portion, a'base portion having a flat top wall and side w'alls, said top wall having a ing means for the base portion and accordingly the side wall members 4| and 42, Figure 3, are joined by a transverse rib 43 located below the opening and disposed substantially diametrically of the same. This rib ties together the wall members 4| and 42 at a point approximately cencenter. opening for receiving the depending annulus to unite the hood and base portions` in l v'assembled relation, said top wall and said cirl cumferential wallhavingcoacting machined surfaces for a close, t when the portions are as'- sembled, securing L means extending through aligned openings insaid circumferential wall and top wall for releasably securing the portions in assembled relation, and reinforcing means for the base portion including a transverse rib joining the side walls andk extending substantially ,diametrically of the opening. l

4. An excavator bucket, in combination, a hood Aportion providing the bucket proper and having an exterior of generallyv sphericalshape, an annulus integral with the hood portion and depending from the bottom thereof, a Vcircumferential wall extending laterally outwardly from the hood portion at the Vjunction of the annulus `tlierewith, vertically disposed ribson the exterior the portions are assembled, and securing bolts extending through aligned openings in said circumferential Wall and top Wall for releasably securing the portions in assembled relation, the openings in the top wall for the securing bolts being located to the outside of the side walls respectively in the laterally extending sections of the top Wall. A I

THOMAS C. WI-IISLER.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberA Name Date 1,084,662 Porter Jan. 20, 1914 1,395,814 Gottlieb Nov. 1, 1921 1,559,004 Rattigan Oct. 27, 1925 2,228,546 Whisler Jan. 14, 1941 

